On Saint Timothy

Saint Timothy was the beloved disciple of Saint Paul, praised by him with the highest commendations in many places throughout his Epistles. Timothy himself loved Saint Paul with deepest sincerity, as a father, and never left him from the time he was chosen and taken along as a companion in the labors of preaching. The Apostle Paul, as the book of Acts records, first encountered Saint Timothy on his second apostolic journey—after the Council held in Jerusalem, when, accompanied by Silas, he was visiting the churches he had previously founded and arrived in Lystra of Lycaonia. There the believing brethren bore witness to him—those of Lystra and those of the neighboring city of Iconium (Acts 16:2)—and they witnessed not only to his moral uprightness, but also to the fullness of his knowledge of the Gospel and his zeal to spread, defend, and establish it. On this occasion the Spirit of God pointed Timothy out to Saint Paul as a worthy helper in the work of evangelism, and Paul chose him and took him along.

Tradition, however, traces the first meeting of the Apostle Paul with Saint Timothy back to the time of Paul’s initial planting of the faith in Lystra, adding that it was then that the intention to employ him in the work of evangelism first arose. When Saint Paul and Barnabas, driven out of Iconium, fled to the cities of Lycaonia and healed in Lystra a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb, the people of Lystra thought they were gods in human form and were about to offer sacrifice to them. But when the Apostles persuaded them that they were not gods but messengers of God, sent to turn people from false faith and to bring them to the true faith—and when they explained what this true faith consisted of—many of the people abandoned their former impiety and believed the Gospel (Acts 14). Among them—as Saint Dimitri of Rostov writes (St. Dimitri of Rostov, Chetii-Minei, January 22)—were the grandmother and mother of Saint Timothy, who was widowed after the death of her husband. They were among the first to believe; Saint Timothy believed together with them, as may be gathered from the words of Saint Paul in which he recalls the beginning of Timothy’s faith: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that it dwells in you as well” (2 Tim. 1:5)—that is, that you too did not lag behind them. Overjoyed by coming to faith, they received the Apostles into their home and provided them with every comfort and refreshment. There, the mother entrusted her only child, Saint Timothy, to Saint Paul—as a gift of gratitude for the miracle wrought in their city, and even more for the brilliant radiance of godliness they had received. Saint Paul accepted him and, seeing in the young man a good mind and gentleness, and discerning the grace of God in him, loved him and resolved to take him along—not immediately, but later; for he was still young and needed to be prepared for the work of preaching. Leaving him for a time in their home, Saint Paul entrusted him to the wisest among the believers, so that they might guide him in understanding the Scriptures and train him in the labors of the faith both among believers and unbelievers.

As it turned out, this time was not wasted. When Saint Paul returned here a second time, after several years, accompanied by Saint Silas, he found Saint Timothy to be a skilled student of the Divine Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:15), advancing in virtue and having obtained a good testimony from all the Christians (Acts 16). He had not been ignorant of the Scriptures before—his mother and grandmother, being pious women, would not have allowed for that—but now he had learned to read in them the foreshadowing of the Gospel’s teaching. He had doubtless been taught every good work by his God-fearing guardians from before; but now he had been taught to direct the labors of good deeds toward another aim—namely, to serve the progress of the Gospel. Seeing this, Saint Paul now resolved to take him along “into the apostolate and to make him an inseparable companion and sharer in all his labors and journeys, and a faithful fellow-servant in the Lord.”

Having resolved this, Saint Paul also resolved to circumcise Timothy—not because circumcision was necessary for salvation, but because it was expedient for the success of the preaching. An uncircumcised man would not have had free access to the Jews—in their homes, much less in their synagogues, and still less for teaching them how one ought to believe and be saved. Since the order in which preaching was conducted at that time required this, the Apostle decided to circumcise Saint Timothy. On Paul’s part this was a measure of prudence, according to the principle he always maintained: “I have become all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9:19–22); and on Saint Timothy’s part it was an example of complete submission to his teacher, of imitation and devotion to him, and a first sacrifice of love for his neighbors and zeal for their salvation.

Thus prepared, they set out further on their preaching journey. In the early days Saint Timothy is not seen as an active agent; he only watched and learned. He witnessed the conversion of the Galatians, and perhaps of the Colossians, Laodiceans, and Hierapolitans. He saw how the Spirit of God did not permit them to go either into Asia or into Bithynia, but directed them through Troas into Macedonia (Acts 16:6). He observed the success of the preaching in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, accompanied by signs and wonders. He probably played some part in all these places as well.

But the first express mention of him appears in the account of events in Berea—specifically, that when Saint Paul was compelled to move on to Athens, Timothy was left there with Silas, for a time that was certainly not without a definite purpose of continuing the work of preaching. Those who escorted Saint Paul to Athens were given instructions to Saints Silas and Timothy that they should hasten to join him. It was probably Saint Timothy alone who hurried to him and reported what the Macedonian brethren were suffering and what was troubling them. This prompted Saint Paul to write the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, to console and instruct them, and to send it with Timothy, charging him also to establish and comfort them in the faith (1 Thess. 3:2). There Saint Paul already calls him his “brother” and “God’s servant and fellow-worker” with him “in the Gospel of Christ”—which was, of course, not a word of flattery but the truth of the matter. Saint Timothy returned together with Silas and found Saint Paul in Corinth, to which he had moved from Athens (Acts 18:5).

After this, during Saint Paul’s year-and-a-half stay in Corinth, his journey to Jerusalem for the feast, his time in Antioch, his second visit to the churches of Asia Minor in Cilicia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Galatia, and his nearly three-year stay in Ephesus, no mention is made of Saint Timothy. But he was certainly with Paul throughout all this time; for that was the very purpose for which he had been taken along—to be with him and to work alongside him, under his direction and guidance.

He is mentioned again toward the end of Saint Paul’s stay in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul heard of certain disorders in the Church of Corinth and resolved to visit them; but since there were still a few things to be done in Ephesus, he sent Saint Timothy on ahead there, to settle affairs as he saw fit. While Saint Timothy was making his way to Corinth through Macedonia, representatives came to Saint Paul from the Church of Corinth bearing a letter. Learning precisely what the disorders there consisted of, Saint Paul wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians and sent it with Saint Titus. In this Epistle he mentions that he had sent to them “Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord,” to remind them of his ways in the Lord (1 Cor. 4:17); and afterward he adds: “When Timothy comes to you, see that he is with you without fear; for he is doing God’s work, as I also am” (1 Cor. 16:10).

Shortly afterward, an uprising of unbelievers in Ephesus compelled Saint Paul to leave that city earlier than planned, and he made his way toward Corinth through Macedonia. He traveled there unhurriedly, for he needed to meet with Titus before arriving in Corinth, in order to learn how the Epistle had been received and what effect it had produced among the believers. Not finding him in Troas, he crossed over into Macedonia and met Titus there. He also found Saint Timothy there, who had not yet managed to set out for Corinth. Having learned from Titus how things were going in Corinth, Saint Paul wrote them the Second Epistle, in the salutation of which he places Saint Timothy alongside himself. The Epistle was again sent with Saint Titus, while Saint Timothy traveled there with Saint Paul, after him. For we see Timothy there while Saint Paul was writing the Epistle to the Romans from that place, in which he also sends greetings from Timothy, his “fellow-worker” (Rom. 16:21). And on the return journey from there, after a three-month stay, we see Saint Timothy among Saint Paul’s other traveling companions (Acts 20:4).

Saint Paul was making his way to Jerusalem. On this journey he was in Philippi, Troas, Miletus, Rhodes, Tyre, Caesarea, and many other coastal cities where there were believers—most likely disciples of Saint Paul. In Jerusalem, Saint Paul was arrested by the authorities following a Jewish uprising, and spent two years in bonds at Caesarea; from there he was sent to Rome, still as a prisoner, where he again spent two years in bonds. Throughout all this time Saint Timothy is mentioned only at Troas and in Rome. But there is no doubt that he was inseparably with Saint Paul throughout—such was his calling.

That he was in Rome is evident from the salutations in the Epistles written by Saint Paul from Rome to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Philippians, where Saint Paul names Saint Timothy alongside himself. In the Epistle to the Philippians, Saint Paul writes that he intends to send Saint Timothy to them as soon as he learns of his own release. This promise was most likely fulfilled; and when Saint Paul himself sailed from Rome to Asia Minor, as he had promised Philemon, passing through Crete, Saint Timothy, it may be supposed, made his way to Macedonia in order to spend time in Philippi and then rejoin Saint Paul—which likely took place in Nicopolis of Cilicia, where Saint Paul spent the winter. Meeting him there, Timothy reported to him how affairs were going in Macedonia and how desirable and necessary his presence there was.

After wintering in Nicopolis, Saint Paul set out in spring for Macedonia through Ephesus. To remain long in Ephesus, as noted, and perhaps for other reasons as well, was not possible for him. Seeing that certain matters there required a firm hand to set right, and that a firm hand was needed to maintain proper order among the believers, he ordained Saint Timothy as bishop—by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery (1 Tim. 1:18; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6)—and left him there, while he himself departed for Macedonia, embarking at Miletus (where he left Trophimus on account of his illness), intending to travel through Troas (where he left his cloak and perhaps some books with Carpus) and arrive in Philippi. From there he wrote the First Epistle to Saint Timothy, giving him instructions for the salvation of his flock and encouraging him in the labors of this important work.

In this Epistle the Apostle expressed his intention to return soon to Ephesus, presumably after visiting the churches of Macedonia and Achaia. But circumstances developed in such a way that he was unable to carry this out. Tradition relates that in Corinth he met with Saint Peter (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 2, 25) and traveled with him to the West. Saint Peter went directly to Rome, while Saint Paul first went to Spain and then to Rome, where both were taken into bonds and crowned with a martyr’s death. From these bonds Saint Paul wrote the Second Epistle to Saint Timothy on the same matters as before, inviting him to hasten to Rome to him, abandoned by all, and entrusting him with certain other commissions. There is no doubt that this wish of the divine teacher was swiftly fulfilled by the beloved and loving disciple.

After the martyrdom of Saint Paul, Saint Timothy returned to Ephesus and governed the Church there until his own death, which was likewise a martyr’s death, benefiting also from the guidance of Saint John the Theologian, who lived there and guided the pastors of all the churches of Asia. During the exile of Saint John the Theologian on Patmos, Saint Timothy carried on the work of guiding all the churches—so writes Saint Dimitri of Rostov.

His martyr’s death (according to the account of Patriarch Photius of Constantinople) came about in this manner: the pagan Ephesians were celebrating some festival in which men and women, dressed in disguise and wearing masks, went through the streets of the city carrying idols and clubs in their hands, amid disorderly songs and shouts, attacking those they encountered in a murderous fashion and killing them. Saint Timothy came in their path and, perhaps seizing the occasion, offered them words of exhortation. But they not only refused to listen to him—they fell upon him and beat him nearly to death. When the crowd had passed, leaving Saint Timothy lying there, faithful Christians came, and finding him still breathing, lifted him and carried him outside the city (into the open air, or to a dwelling—either his own or that of another believer). There he died shortly afterward and was buried in a place called Pion. His relics were translated by the holy martyr Artemius from Ephesus to Constantinople in the reign of Constantius, and were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles, together with those of the Evangelist Luke and the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

In some villages in our country there persists a pagan custom: on certain summer nights people go out with shouts, songs, and even a plough—to drive away the cattle-plague (livestock disease). At such times no one should cross their path; they will kill whomever they meet, taking the one they encounter to be the cattle-plague in disguise. Something similar may have been taking place among the pagan Ephesians.